Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD is an excellent example of a show that’s been able to connect the big screen to the small screen. And soon the new FX series Legionwill be doing the same thing, but this time it will involve the X-Men universe. While it, too, is part of the Marvel universe, the live-actions rights are owned by a different company. Nonetheless, Bryan Singer recently stated in an interview that Legion is a part of the X-Men universe. But just how closely related is the series in the grand scheme of things? Remember, the word “universe” can mean almost anything in comics.

For those of you who don’t know, Legion is a new series that will air on FX. It revolves around a character by the name of David Haller (Dan Stevens), who, in the comics, is the son of Charles Xavier. In the show, he plays a diagnosed schizophrenic. After meeting a patient in the mental hospital he’s also staying in, he begins to believe that the voices in his head may be real after all.

It was reported earlier that Legion was not necessarily tied directly to the X-Men universe, but, rather, it was in a parallel universe. That could have meant anything. However, Singer’s recent comments ties the series directly into the world of Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey. He stated that the show is, “part of the X-Men universe, but when you watched it, you wouldn’t have to label it, it could exist completely on its own.” Sounds familiar. Doesn’t it? That’s because it’s the same formula for Agents Of SHIELD. That’s a show that exists in the same universe as heavy hitters like Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, but none of them show up. Instead, the show plays out story lines that are influenced by the events within the movies. Every now and then, though, a smaller characters manages to find his or her way onto the show.

In Legion, it looks like there will always be the mention of characters like Wolverine, Magneto, and more, but the best that audiences will ever see is a cameo by someone who would eventually become Toad. While it doesn’t consist of the prime-time players, it allows the brand to maintain some kind of relevance.